REVIEW: ‘Moana 2’ is a familiar voyage with a few surprises

The first Moana was a fresh take on the Disney formula. Instead of a damsel in distress, their story focused on a strong, independent heroine from Polynesian culture, who was on a journey of self-discovery and finding her connection to the ocean. Its sequel, Moana 2, still followed the structure of a hero’s journey, but somehow, it felt predictable. In case you didn’t know, Moana 2 was originally supposed to be a Disney+ TV series. The creators—directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, with Miller and Jared Bush writing the screenplay—felt that the story they wanted to tell was more suited to a feature film format. Unfortunately, it proved otherwise. The film’s pacing felt slightly rushed, resulting in a somewhat condensed narrative.

The general plot points to Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), a young hero venturing on a quest across the vast ocean, exploring islands in search of signs of human life and a legendary island Motufetu. Guided by her grandmother Tala’s spirit, Moana, now more confident and idealistic, faces challenges and grows through familiar narrative tropes. While Moana did find a new crew—Loto, Kele, and Moni—to go along with her, the film rehashes elements from the first, like the comedic confrontation with the Kakamora and the escape from a natural wonder. Moana also was able to accomplish her task, with the help of Maui, no less.

Still, Moana 2 is worth watching. It’s a story of empowerment, embracing your potential, and finding your own way in the world—messages that I believe are as important now as they were when the film was first released. It’s a movie that not only speaks to young audiences but to anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world and yearned for something more.